That Mainwaring Affair

  CHAPTER XXIV

  BETWEEN THE ACTS

  For the ten days next ensuing the public craving for sensationaldevelopments in the Mainwaring case seemed likely to be gratifiedto an unusual degree. To the exciting scenes of the court-room wasadded the suicide of Mrs. LaGrange, immediately followed by news ofthe discovery that Richard Hobson, the unwilling witness in theprevious day's proceedings, had absconded, leaving not the slightestindication of even the direction in which he had vanished. By manythe suicide of the one and the sudden disappearance of the other,occurring simultaneously, were considered as prima facie evidencethat the two, so closely associated with each other, had been insome way connected with the Fair Oaks tragedy.

  From this phase of the affair, however, public attention wasspeedily diverted by the report that proceedings to contest the oldwill had been instituted, but in the name of Ralph Mainwaring andhis brother, Harold W. Mainwaring; his son, the sole heir under thewill of Hugh Mainwaring, having altogether withdrawn from thecontest. This had caused an open rupture between father and son,and the latter had established himself in a suite of apartments atthe Murray Hill.

  Young Mainwaring's course occasioned great surprise; many commendedhis wisdom, but few gave him credit for the genuine sense of honorwhich had actuated him.

  "A neat little stroke of diplomacy," said one club-man to another,"and worthy of Hugh Mainwaring himself! There is no show for him,anyway, and it's much better policy to yield the point now, don'tyou see, than to fight it out along with that pig-headed father ofhis."

  "He understands on which side his bread is buttered, and don't youforget it, my dear boy," was the laughing rejoinder. "It's alwaysbest to stand in with the winning side; he won't lose anything inthe long run, and he knows it."

  Such remarks occasionally reached young Mainwaring, making himexceedingly indignant.

  "You may say, once and for all," he said to a reporter who wasinterviewing him in his apartments at the Murray Hill, "that inwithdrawing from this contest I am not currying favor with HaroldScott Mainwaring. He and I are the best of friends, but that factwould not hinder me from giving him a fair and square fight ifthere were the slightest doubt as to the validity of his claim.But there isn't; he has proved his right, legally and morally, tothe property, and that's enough for me."

  "But Mr. Ralph Mainwaring must have some tenable ground forcontesting his claim," said the reporter, tentatively, hoping toget some of the inside facts of the case.

  Young Mainwaring froze instantly. "I have nothing whatever to say,sir, regarding the governor's action in this matter; any informationyou desire on that point you will have to obtain from him."

  The next development in the Mainwaring case was a report to theeffect that the whereabouts of Harold W. Mainwaring could not beascertained, and it was generally supposed among his Londonassociates that he had followed his brother to America by the nextsteamer. As this report was supplemented by the further facts thathe was a man of no principle, heavily involved in debt, and deeplyincensed at Ralph Mainwaring's success in securing for his son theAmerican estate in which he himself had expected to share, publicspeculation was immediately aroused in a new direction, and "thatMainwaring affair" became the absorbing topic, not alone at theclubs and other places of masculine rendezvous, but at all socialgatherings as well.

  Regarding the principal actors in this drama, however, around whompublic interest really centred, little could be definitelyascertained. To many, who, on the following morning, read thedetails of the suicide at the Wellington, it was a matter of nosmall wonder that the name of Harold Scott Mainwaring was not oncementioned in connection with that of the woman shown by thepreceding day's testimony to have been so closely related to him.Perhaps no one was more surprised at this omission than Merrickhimself but if so, his only comment was made mentally.

  "He's got the cinch on them all around, and he'll win, hands down!"

  The inquest, held at an early hour, was merely a matter of form,the evidence of intentional suicide being conclusive, and theinterment, a few hours later, was strictly private. Excepting theclergyman who read the burial service, there were present only thetwo sons of the wretched woman.

  It was their first meeting since learning of the strange relationshipexisting between them, and Walter LaGrange, as he entered thepresence of the dead, cast a curious glance, half shrinking, halfdefiant, at the calm, stern face of Harold Mainwaring, who hadpreceded him. His own face was haggard and drawn, and the hard,rigid lines deepened as his glance fell for an instant on the casketbetween them. Then his eyes looked straight into those of HaroldMainwaring with an expression almost imploring.

  "Tell me," he demanded in low, hoarse tones, "is it true that Iam--what she once said and what report is now saying--the son ofHugh Mainwaring?"

  "It is true," the other replied, gravely.

  "Then curse them both!" he exclaimed, while his hands clinchedinvoluntarily. "What right had they to blight and ruin my life?What right had they to live as they did, and let the stigma, theshame, the curse of it all fall on me? A few months since I hadthe honor and respect of my classmates and associates; to-day, notone will recognize me, and for no fault of mine!"

  "Hush!" interposed Harold Mainwaring; "I know the wrong which hasbeen done you,--they have wronged me, also, far more deeply thanyou know,--but this is no time or place to recall it!"

  The calmness and kindness of his tones seemed to soothe and controlhis excited companion.

  "I know they have wronged you," the latter replied; "but they havenot ruined you! You have not only friends and wealth, but, morethan all, your father's name. I," he added bitterly, "am a pauper,and worse than a pauper, for I have not even a name!"

  For a few moments Harold Mainwaring silently studied the haggardyoung face confronting him, in which anger was slowly giving placeto dull, sullen despair; and his own heart was suddenly moved withpity for the boy.

  "Robbed of his birthright before he was born," reared in anatmosphere of treachery and deceit calculated to foster and developthe evil tendencies already inherited; yet, notwithstanding all, soclosely akin to himself.

  "Walter," he said, gravely, at the same time extending his handacross the casket, "I realize the truth of much that you have said,but you need not allow this to ruin or blight your life. Mark mywords, your future from this time forth is, to a great extent, inyour own hands; your life will be what you make it, and you alone.See to it that it is not blighted by your own wrong-doing! Beyourself a man of honor, and I will assure you, you can depend uponme to stand by you and to help you." Walter LaGrange raised hiseyes in astonishment at these words, containing a pledge of probablythe first genuine friendship he had ever known in his young life.He gave a look, searching, almost cynical, into Harold Mainwaring'sface; then reading nothing but sincerity, he took the proffered hand,saying brokenly,--

  "Do you really mean it? I supposed that you, of all others, woulddespise me; and it would be no great wonder if you did!"

  "It will depend entirely upon yourself, Walter, whether or not Idespise you. If I ever do, it will be the result of your ownunworthiness, not because of the wrong-doing of others."

  There were signs in the boy's face of a brief struggle between theold pride, inherited from his mother, and the self-respect whichHarold Mainwaring's words had but just awakened.

  "If it were the other fellow," he said, slowly, "the one the oldman intended to make his heir, had made me such a proposition, Iwould tell him to go to the devil; but, by George! if you willstand by me, it's all right, and I'll be man enough anyway thatyou'll never regret it."

  A few days later, Walter LaGrange, penniless and friendless, haddisappeared, whither his former associates neither knew nor cared.In a large banking establishment in one of the principal westerncities,--a branch of the firm of Mainwaring & Co.,--a young man,known as the ward of Harold Scott Mainwaring, was entered as anemployee, with prospect of advancement should he prove himselfworthy of responsibility and t
rust. But of this, as of many otherevents just then quietly transpiring behind the scenes, little ornothing was known.

  Meanwhile, as the days slipped rapidly away, the party at theWaldorf was not idle. There were conferences, numerous andprotracted, behind dosed doors, telegrams and cablegrams in cipherflashed hither and thither in multitudinous directions, while Mr.Sutherland seemed fairly ubiquitous. Much of his time, however,was spent in the private parlors of the English party, with frequentjourneys to the court-house to ascertain the status of the case.From one of these trips he returned one evening jubilant.

  "Well," said he, settling himself comfortably, with a sigh ofrelief, "the first point in the case is decided in our favor."

  "That is a good omen," Mr. Barton replied cheerfully; "but may Iinquire to what you refer?"

  "I have succeeded in getting the date for the hearing set for thenext term of court, which opens early in December."

  "I am glad to hear it; a little time just now is of the utmostimportance to our interests. Did you have any difficulty insecuring a postponement until the next term?"

  "Whitney, of course, opposed it strongly. He said his clientwanted the matter settled at the earliest possible moment; but Itold him that so long as Ralph Mainwaring persisted in buttingagainst a stone wall, just so long a speedy settlement was out ofthe question; it was bound to be a hard fight, and would be carriedover into the next term in any event. Then I had a privateinterview with Judge Bingham, and, without giving particulars, toldhim that new developments had arisen, and, with a little time inwhich to procure certain evidence, we would have our opponentscompletely floored,--they would not even have an inch of room leftto stand upon,--while under present conditions, Mainwaring, so longas he had a shilling, would, if beaten, move for a new trial, orappeal to a higher court,--anything to keep up the fight. So hewill grant us till December, which, I am inclined to think, will beample time."

  "It looks now," said Mr. Barton, producing a telegram, "as thoughwe might succeed in securing that evidence much sooner than we haveanticipated. What do you think of that?" and he handed the despatchto Mr. Sutherland.

  The face of the latter brightened as he glanced rapidly over theyellow sheet.

  "The dickens! McCabe has left the city!" he exclaimed.

  Mr. Barton bowed. "Which means," he said in reply, "that he hasevidently struck the scent; and when he once starts on the trail,it is only a question of time--and usually not any great lengthof time, either--before he runs his game to cover."

  "Well," ejaculated Mr. Sutherland, rubbing his hands togetherenthusiastically, "I, for one, want to be 'in at the death' on this,for it will simply be the finest piece of work, the grandestdenouement, of any case that has ever come within my twenty years oflegal experience!"

  Mr. Barton smiled. "My brother is evidently of the same opinionwith yourself," he said. "I received a cablegram from him to-day,requesting me to inform him at once of the date set for the hearing,as he stated he would not, for a kingdom, fail of being present atthe trial."

  With the announcement that the case of Mainwaring versus Mainwaringhad been set for the opening of the December term of court, thepublic paused to take breath and to wonder at this unlooked-fordelay, but preparations for the coming contest were continued withunabated vigor on both sides. Contrary to all expectations, RalphMainwaring, so far from objecting to the postponement of the case,took special pains to express his entire satisfaction with thisturn of affairs.

  "It is an indication of conscious weakness on their part," heremarked with great complacency, as he and Mr. Whitney were diningat the club on the following day. "They have evidently discoveredsome flaw in their defence which it will take some time to repair.I can afford to wait, however; my attorneys and experts will soonbe here, and while our side could easily have been in readiness ina much shorter time, this, of course, will give us an opportunityfor still more elaborate preparation, so that we will gain animmense advantage over them."

  "I suppose, Mr. Mainwaring," said one of his listeners, giving aquick side-glance at his companions, "I suppose that during thisinterim a truce will be declared, and for the time being there willbe a cessation of hostilities between the parties in interest, willthere not?"

  "Sir!" roared Ralph Mainwaring, transfixing the speaker with astare calculated to annihilate him.

  "I beg pardon, sir, I intended no offence," continued theirrepressible young American, ignoring the warning signals from hisassociates; "it only occurred to me that with such an immenseadvantage on your side you could afford to be magnanimous and treatyour opponent with some consideration."

  "I am not accustomed to showing magnanimity or consideration to anybut my own equals," the other rejoined, with freezing dignity; "andthe fact that my 'opponent,' as you are pleased to designate him,is, for the present, allowed liberty to go and come at his pleasure,although under strict surveillance, is, in this instance, sufficientconsideration."

  "Harold Scott Mainwaring under surveillance? Incredible!" exclaimedone of the party in a low tone, while the first speaker remarked, "Icertainly was unaware that the gentleman in question was to beregarded in the light of a suspected criminal!"

  "It is to be presumed," said Ralph Mainwaring, haughtily, stung bythe tinge of irony in the other's tone, "that there are a number ofpoints in this case of which people in general are as yet unaware,but upon which they are likely to become enlightened in the nearfuture, when this person who has assumed such a variety of roleswill be disclosed in his true light,--not that of a suspectedcriminal merely, but of a condemned criminal, convicted by a chainof evidence every link of which has been forged by himself."

  There was an ominous silence as Ralph Mainwaring rose from thetable, broken at last by an elderly gentleman seated at a littledistance, who, while apparently an interested listener, had takenno part in the conversation.

  "Begging your pardon, Mr. Mainwaring, I would judge the chargeswhich you would prefer against this young man to be unusuallyserious; may I inquire their nature?"

  The words were spoken with the utmost deliberation, but in the calm,even tones there was an implied challenge, which was all that wasneeded at that instant to fan Ralph Mainwaring's wrath into a flame.Utterly disregarding a cautionary glance from Mr. Whitney, he turnedhis monocle upon the speaker, glaring at him in contemptuous silencefor a moment.

  "You have decidedly the advantage of me, sir, but allow me to saythat the person under discussion has not only, with unheard ofeffrontery, publicly and unblushingly proclaimed himself as ablackmailer and knave, capable of descending to any perfidy ortreachery for the purpose of favoring his own base schemes, but hehas also, in his inordinate greed and ambition, unwittingly provedhimself by his own statements and conduct to be a villain of thedeepest dye; and I will say, furthermore, that if Harold ScottMainwaring, as he styles himself, ends his days upon the gallowsin expiation of the foul murder of Hugh Mainwaring, he will haveonly himself to thank, for his own words and deeds will have putthe noose about his neck."

  Having thus expressed himself, Ralph Mainwaring, without waitingfor reply, left the room accompanied by Mr. Whitney. The lattermade no comment until they were seated in the carriage and rollingdown the avenue; then he remarked, casually,--

  "I was surprised, Mr. Mainwaring, that you failed to recognize thegentleman who addressed you as you were leaving the table."

  "His face was somewhat familiar; I have met him, but I cannot recallwhen or where. I considered his tone decidedly offensive, however,and I proposed, whoever he might be, to give him to understand thatI would brook no interference. Do you know him?"

  "I have never met him, but I know of him," the attorney replied,watching his client closely. "He is the Honorable J. Ponsonby Roget,Q. C., of London. I supposed of course that you knew him."

  "J. Ponsonby Roget, Queen's Counsel? Egad! I have met him, but itwas years ago, and he has aged so that I did not recognize him.Strange!" he added, visibly annoyed. "What the deuce is he doingin
this country?"

  "That is just what no one is able to say," replied the attorney,slowly. "He is stopping at the Waldorf, with our friends, theEnglish party, but whether as a guest or in a professional capacity,no one has been able to ascertain."

  "Zounds, man! why did you not give me this information earlier?"

  "For the good and sufficient reason, Mr. Mainwaring, that I did notlearn of the facts myself until within the last two hours. Myattention was called to the gentleman as I entered the club. Iassumed, of course, that you knew him, at least by sight, and whenhe addressed you I supposed for the instant that you wereacquaintances."

  "But how came he at the club? None of the party from the Waldorfwere with him."

  "He was there as the especial guest of Chief-Justice Parmalee, ofthe Supreme Court, the gentleman on his left. Judge Parmalee spentmuch of his life in London, and the two are particular friends."

  "Well, it's done, and can't be undone, and I don't know that Iregret it," Ralph Mainwaring remarked, sullenly. "If he chooses toidentify himself with that side of the case he is at liberty to doso, but he has my opinion of his client gratis."

  Mr. Whitney made no reply, and the drive was concluded in silence.

  Meanwhile, Ralph Mainwaring had no sooner left the club than achorus of exclamations, protests, and running comments arose onall sides.

  "Harold Scott Mainwaring the murderer of Hugh Mainwaring! That iscarrying this farce beyond all bounds!"

  "If he cannot get possession of the property in any other way, hewill send the new heir to the gallows, eh?"

  "He will attempt it, too; he is desperate," said one.

  "He may make it pretty serious for the young fellow," said another,thoughtfully. "You remember, by his own statements he was the lastperson who saw Hugh Mainwaring alive; in fact, he was in his librarywithin a few moments preceding his death; and after all that hasbeen brought to light, it's not to be supposed that he had any greataffection for his uncle."

  "What is this, gentlemen?" said a reporter, briskly, appearing onthe scene, note-book in hand. "Any new developments in theMainwaring case?"

  "Yes, a genuine sensation!" shouted two or three voices.

  "Gentlemen, attention a moment!" said a commanding voice outside,and an instant later a tall, well-known form entered.

  "The ubiquitous Mr. Sutherland!" laughingly announced a jovialyoung fellow, standing near the entrance.

  "Sutherland, how is this?" demanded one of the elder gentlemen."Have you a private battery concealed about your person withinvisible wires distributed throughout the city, that you seem toarrive at any and every spot just on the nick of time?"

  "That is one of the secrets of the profession, Mr. Norton, not tobe revealed to the uninitiated," replied the attorney, while aquick glance flashed between himself and the Queen's Counsel.

  "There is one thing, gentlemen," he continued, with great dignity,"to which I wish to call your attention, particularly you gentlemenof the press. I am aware of the nature of the 'sensation' of whichyou made mention a moment ago, but I wish it distinctly understoodthat it is to be given no publicity whatever. The name of my clientis not to be bandied about before the public in connection with anyof Ralph Mainwaring's imputations or vilifications, for the reasonthat they are wholly without foundation. We are thoroughlycognizant of that gentleman's intentions regarding our client, andwe will meet him on his own ground. In the coming contest we willnot only establish beyond all shadow of doubt our client's soleright and title to the Mainwaring estate, but we will, at the sametime, forever refute and silence any and every aspersion which RalphMainwaring may seek to cast upon him. Even were there any truthin these insinuations, it would be time enough, when the chargesshould be preferred against our client, to brazen them before thepublic, but since they are only the product of spleen and malignity,simply consign them to the odium and obloquy to which they areentitled."

  "That is right!" responded two or three voices, while the reporterreplied, courteously,--

  "We will certainly respect your wishes, sir; but you see the publicis on the qui vive, so to speak, over this case, and it is ourbusiness to get hold of every item which we can to add to theinterest. You have checked us off on some rather interesting matteralready, I believe."

  "Perhaps so," said Mr. Sutherland, quietly, "but I can promise youthat before long there will be developments in the case which willgive you boys all the interesting matter you will need for sometime, and they will be fact, not fabrication."

  As the result of Mr. Sutherland's prompt action, the newspaperscontained no allusion to that evening's scene at the club; but evenhis energy and caution were powerless to prevent the spread of theaffair from lip to lip. Mentioned scarcely above a whisper, thereport rippled onward, the waves widening in all directions, withvarious alterations and additions, till it was regarded as an opensecret in all circles of society. It reached young Mainwaring inhis rather secluded bachelor quarters at the Murray Hill, and hebowed his head in shame that a Mainwaring should stoop to sodisgraceful an exhibition of his venomous rage and hatred. Itreached Harold Scott Mainwaring, and the smouldering fire in thedark eyes gleamed afresh and the proud face grew rigid and stern.Donning overcoat and hat, he left his apartments at the Waldorf;and started forth in the direction of the club most frequented byRalph Mainwaring and Mr. Whitney.

  He had gone but a short distance when he met young Mainwaring. Theyoung men exchanged cordial greetings, and, at Harold's request, hiscousin retraced his steps to accompany him.

  "Why are you making such a stranger of yourself; Hugh? I havescarcely seen you of late," said Harold, after a little generalconversation.

  "Well, to be frank with you, old boy, I haven't been around so oftenas I would like for two reasons; for one thing, I find peoplegenerally are not inclined to regard our friendship in the same lightthat we do. You and I understand one another, and you don't suspectme of any flunkeyism, or any ulterior motive, don't you know,--"

  "I understand perfectly," said Harold, as his cousin paused, seemingto find some difficulty in conveying his exact meaning; "and solong as you and I do understand each other, what is the use ofpaying any attention to outsiders? Whether we were friends, orrefused to recognize one another, their small talk and gossip wouldflow on forever, so why attempt to check it?"

  "I believe you are right; but that isn't all of it, don't you know.What I care most about is the governor's losing his head in the wayhe has lately. It is simply outrageous, the reports he has startedin circulation!"

  Hugh paused and glanced anxiously into his cousin's face, but thefrank, brotherly kindness which he read there reassured him.

  "My dear cousin," said Harold, warmly, "nothing that RalphMainwaring can ever say or do shall make any difference between us.There are but two contingencies in this connection that I regret."

  "And those are what?" the younger man questioned eagerly.

  "That he bears the name of Mainwaring, and that he is your father!"

  "By Jove! I'm with you on that," the other exclaimed heartily, "andI hope you'll win every point in the game; but I've been awfullycut up over what he has said and done recently. I know that heintends to carry his threats into execution, and I'm afraid he'llmake it deucedly unpleasant for you, don't you know."

  They had reached the club-house, and Harold Mainwaring, as he pausedon the lowest step, smiled brightly into the boyish face, regardinghim with such solicitude.

  "I understand his intentions as well as you, and know that it wouldgive him great delight to carry them into execution; but, my dearboy, he will never have the opportunity to even make the attempt."

  Young Mainwaring's face brightened. "Why, are you prepared to headhim off in that direction? By Jove! I'm right glad to know it.Well, I'll be around to the Waldorf in the course of a day or two No, much obliged, but I don't care to go into the club-roomsto-night; in fact, I haven't been in there since the governor madethat after-dinner speech of his. Good-night!"
r />   As Harold Mainwaring sauntered carelessly through the club-rooms,returning the greetings of the select circle of friends which hehad made, he was conscious of glances of interest and undisguisedcuriosity from the many with whom he had no acquaintance. Noallusion was made to the subject which he well knew was in theirminds, however, until, meeting Mr. Chittenden, the latter drew himaside into an alcove.

  "I say, my dear Mainwaring, are you aware that your esteemed kinsmanhas you under strict surveillance?"

  Mainwaring smiled, though his eyes flashed. "I am aware that hehas made statements to that effect, although, thus far, his'surveillance' has interfered in no way either with my duties orpleasures, nor do I apprehend that it will."

  "My dear fellow, it is simply preposterous! The man must be insane."

  "Is he here this evening?" Mainwaring inquired.

  "No; to tell the truth, he has not found it so very congenial heresince that outbreak of his; he seldom is here now, excepting, ofcourse, at meals. Mr. Whitney is here, however."

  "I came here," Harold Mainwaring replied, "with the express purposeof meeting one or the other, or both; on the whole, it will berather better to meet Mr. Whitney."

  "No trouble, no unpleasant words, I hope?" said the elder man,anxiously.

  "Mr. Chittenden, when you knew me as Hugh Mainwaring's privatesecretary, you knew me as a gentleman; I trust I shall never beless."

  "You are right, you are right, my boy, and I beg your pardon; butyoung blood is apt to be hasty, you know."

  A little later Harold Mainwaring strolled leisurely across the largereading-room to a table where Mr. Whitney was seated. The latter,seeing him, rose to greet him, while his sensitive face flushedwith momentary excitement.

  "Mr. Mainwaring, I am delighted to meet you. I had hoped from thefriendly tone of that rather mysterious note of yours, upon yoursomewhat abrupt departure, that we might meet again soon, and,though it is under greatly altered circumstances, I am proud tohave the opportunity of congratulating you."

  The younger man responded courteously, and for a few moments thetwo chatted pleasantly upon subjects of general interest, whilemany pairs of eyes looked on in silent astonishment, wondering whatthis peculiar interview might portend.

  At last, after a slight pause, Harold Mainwaring remarked, calmly,"Mr. Whitney, I understand that, when the coming litigation isterminated, your client intends to institute proceedings against meof a far different nature,--criminal proceedings, in fact."

  The attorney colored and started nervously, then replied in a lowtone, "Mr. Mainwaring, let us withdraw to one of the side rooms;this is rather a public place for any conversation regarding thosematters."

  "It is none too public for me, Mr. Whitney, as I have nothingunpleasant to say towards yourself personally, and nothing which Iam not perfectly willing should be heard by any and every individualin these rooms to-night. You have not yet answered my inquiry, Mr.Whitney."

  The attorney paused for a moment, as though laboring under greatexcitement, then he spoke in a tone vibrating with strong emotion,--

  "Mr. Mainwaring, regarding my client's intentions, you have, in allprobability, been correctly informed. I believe that he has madestatements at various times to that effect, and I am now so wellacquainted with him that I know there is no doubt but that he willattempt to carry out what he has threatened. But, Mr. Mainwaring, Iwish to say a word or two for myself. In the coming litigationover the estate, I, as Ralph Mainwaring's counsel, am bound to domy part without any reference to my own personal opinions orprejudices, and I expect to meet you and your counsel in an openfight,--perhaps a bitter one. But this much I have to say: ShouldRalph Mainwaring undertake to bring against you any action of thecharacter which he has threatened," here Mr. Whitney rose to hisfeet and brought his hand down with a ringing blow upon the tableat his side, "he will have to employ other counsel than myself, forI will have nothing whatever to do with such a case."

  He paused a moment, then continued: "I do not claim to understandyou perfectly, Mr. Mainwaring. I will confess you have always beena mystery to me, and you are still. There are depths about you thatI cannot fathom. But I do believe in your honor, your integrity,and your probity, and as for taking part in any action reflectingupon your character, or incriminating you in any respect, I neverwill!"

  A roar of applause resounded through the club-rooms as he concluded.When it had subsided, Harold Mainwaring replied,--

  "Mr. Whitney, I thank you for this public expression of yourconfidence in me. The relations between us in the past have beenpleasant, and I trust they will continue so in the future. As Istated, however, I came here to-night with no unfriendly feelingtowards yourself, but to ask you to be the bearer of a messagefrom me to your client. Ralph Mainwaring, not content with tryingby every means within his power to deprive me of my right andtitle to the estate for years wrongfully withheld from my fatherand from myself, now accuses me of being the murderer of HughMainwaring. I Say to Ralph Mainwaring, for me, that, not throughwhat he terms my 'inordinate greed and ambition,' but throughGod-given rights which no man can take from me, I will have myown, and he is powerless to prevent it or to stand in my way. Butsay to him that I will never touch one farthing of this propertyuntil I stand before the world free and acquitted of the most remoteshadow of the murder of Hugh Mainwaring; nor until the foul anddastardly crime that stains Fair Oaks shall have been avenged!"

  Amid the prolonged applause that followed, Harold Mainwaring leftthe building.